Fig.1. The concept’s most important innovations are a separator integrated into the boom and the method by which discharged oil is collected and pumped, together with water, into tanks on board a collection vessel.


researchers are currently working on oil clean-up technologies which could have a major role to play in any future Deepwater Horizon-type incidents. NorLense, for example, has made innovative strides in oil boom technology. Funded partly by the PETROMAKS program at the Research Council of Norway, Oslo, the objective of NorLense has been to develop a versatile new system for oil spill contingency that can perform in coastal areas and farther out to sea – as well as in rough weather and difficult currents. Te company’s system consists of multiple components: a boom designed to function in concert with a separator, and a skimmer for coping with oil partially submerged by breaking waves. Te concept’s most important innovations are a separator integrated into the boom and the method by which discharged oil is collected and pumped, together with water, into tanks on board a collection vessel, which may well be an ordinary fishing vessel (Fig. 1). For use in coastal marine areas and on shorelines, lighter equipment that can be combined with various absorption agents is being developed. Tis equipment will improve preparedness to launch response operations quickly at contaminated coastal sites and tailor measures to local conditions. “Quicker and more effective management of oil


spills is given high priority under the PETROMAKS program,” explains senior adviser Tarjei N Malme of the Research Council of Norway. “As the Norwegian petroleum industry expands its activities to new geographic areas with potentially different weather conditions and new operating conditions, we must


ensure that we keep pace by developing technology and building competence to prevent and contain acute oil spills.” Meanwhile, Kallak Torvstrofabrikk has developed a peat moss mixture with unusually good absorbent qualities. Te three-man company traditionally sold treated peat moss as a component of soil for flowering plants and as growth medium. But realising that the peat moss is a remarkably good absorbent, three years ago they began to seek out other potential uses for it. Since then Kallak Torvstrofabrikk has been working with scientists from Sintef ’s marine environmental technology department with the aim of testing different types of peat moss and documenting their properties. Te conclusions drawn from these testing


programs were quite clear: the peat moss has excellent potential, as its ability to take up oil is as good as, or in some cases even better than, other products already available on the market. Ten last summer, the Panama-registered


Full City tanker ran aground off Langesund on the south-east coast of Norway, causing severe oil contamination along much of the coast. Te incident gave Kallak Torvstrofabrikk the chance to demonstrate the efficacy of its new product on land. According to Svein Ramstad of Sintef ’s marine


environment department, the peat moss was deployed on a geological conservation area near Langesund and at Stavern. Te area was heavily contaminated, and care needed to be taken. Gravel and stones were mixed with the peat moss and then laid back in their original position. l


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